


One more Year

by RelaxedReady



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Angst, F/M, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Microfic, Spiritual, Suicidal Thoughts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-01
Updated: 2017-01-01
Packaged: 2018-09-13 20:17:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9140641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RelaxedReady/pseuds/RelaxedReady
Summary: Shepard shares New Year's Eve with a memory, and plans to end it with a bang. ** For New Year's Kiss Challenge, 500 word micro-fic. **  Really dark, but feels hopeful at the end.





	

The tears dripped off her chin and rolled down the picture frame. Frozen in time forever, he sat in that park with a stupid rose in his fringe. The flower was long dead.

Shepard’s sorrow fell off the glass to pool on the cold metal floor. How could she only have one picture? Memories were not enough.

“Garrus.” Her breath hitched. “Where are you?”

Watching the galaxy scream by, in silence, through the roof of her cabin, she placed the picture on her breast and lay. Her chest rose. The year had taken its toll, and she knew there were no more leads. The air burst out from her lungs.

Shepard pictured him next to her, holding her close, telling her it would be alright. She couldn’t believe him, because he didn’t exist. Now, imagining his body, alone and decomposing, her hopeless heart caved in.

“No!” She sat up, shaking her head. “You don’t know that!”

The air tasted bitter. Shepard dragged three fingers down her cheek, her neck, to her heart - desperately trying to remember his touch. No more. He was no more. She would be, too.

Another year without him was not something she could do. Come midnight, Shepard had other plans. One minute until showtime. She curled her grip around the handgun, from her nightstand.

She didn’t care who discovered her corpse. After knocking on her door to greet the new year, they would find her body - in morbid celebration - clutching his picture. It would be one helluva cleanup.

She brought his image, blurred by her weeping, to lips, leaving a stamp of devotion. One last kiss.

Her alarm blared and she heard whistles, laughter and singing. Slapping the clock into silence, the barrel cold on her temple, she whispered, “I love you.” Shepard gazed at the picture for the final time.

The flower was gone from the image and Garrus held a palm out before him! She yelped at her hallucination and threw both gun and picture down on the floor. Peering over the bed she hesitantly picked up the frame. Everything was the same, except it was broken.

The glass rattled off the frame. She turned it over, and gasped at a note, hidden inside. Hands trembling, paper crinkling, she read only one word - a location. Shepard covered her mouth.

Then, she jumped at the commotion outside her door.

“C’mon, Commander, you can’t hide in your room all night!” Then, more laughing and banging.

Shepard would hold on for one more year. For Garrus. She didn't know if it would be a happy twelve months, but now, her bones had somewhere to go. Before leaving quarters, softly. “See you soon.”


End file.
